Punters who backed Godolphin colt Archives into short-priced
The strapping son of Helmet looked a beaten horse when the John Hyam-trained Crafted ranged up alongside before Helmet raised another effort to defeat Crafted (Starcraft) by a short-half-head with Jim Conlan's Big John Cannon (High Chaparral) a length and a quarter back in third. (photos Grant Courtney).
"That was hard work," McDonald said.
"He's strong. He had to be strong, and he held the others at bay.
"He had to do it the tough way. It felt like we were going up and down in the one spot towards the winning post. I don't know how strong the field was but we got away with it."
Stable representative David Charles indicated punters could see Archives again during Melbourne Cup week at Flemington.
"He's got a great constitution and an amazing will to win," Charles said.
A Listed winner in Queensland last season at two, the John O'Shea-trained colt advances his overall record to 2 wins, 1 second and 1 third from 5 starts with earnings of $202,850.
A three-quarter brother to Group III Kindergarten Stakes and Group III Vain Stakes winner Safeguard and a half-brother to the stakes-placed Shaumari (Medaglia d'Oro), Archives is the ninth winner from as many to race out of the Group 1 VRC Sires Produce Stakes winner Preserve.
A sister to stakes-winner Rio Osa and a half-sister to Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes winner Denman, Preserve died in December 2014 but has one more foal, a 2yo colt by Exceed And Excel named Connoisseur.
